The National Academy of Sciences urges the national food program to change the diet it provides

The national food program is a $5 billion program that helps 8 million low-income people survive. The program is so large that it actually feeds half of all the infants in the country and one-fourth of the children between one and four years old. Thus, the Academy would like to see these children and their mothers eat healthier diets.

• The National Academy of Sciences has recommended sweeping changes in the food program for women and children to add fruit and vegetables and reduce eggs, milk and juice.
• These would be the biggest changes in the history of the program, which helps feed 8 million low-income people at a cost of more than $5 billion a year.
• A panel created by the Institute of Medicine, an arm of the academy, said the program should issue vouchers to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.
• The vouchers would provide $8 a month for each child and $10 a month for each woman in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC.
• That corresponds to one or two servings of produce a day.
• The program helps feed half of all infants, and one-fourth of all children ages 1 to 4.
• Since 1974 the program has provided vouchers for eggs, cereal, cheese, dried beans, infant formula, juice and milk.